Colors of Love
by ConsistentlyInconsistent
Summary: After years of no contact what will happen when the now 'starving artist' Shunsui and the business woman Nanao have their lives thrown back together? I guess you'll have to read to find out! AU ShunsuiXNanao
1. The Starving Artist

All new from me : Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about anything else I'm working on (see A/N at bottom). I don't own anything but the idea, please don't sue

Colors of Love

Chapter one: The Starving Artist

A moderately paced tapping was heard echoing through the large lobby of an incredibly large office building. Ise Nanao, one of the founders and current CEO of the Zans Communications Company, walked across the black marble floor toward the elevator so she could get to her office on the seventy-fifth floor…it was going to be another long ride. "I really don't care when it happened. We just lost a five million dollar contract and I want to know WHY they dropped us, not WHEN. Get in touch with them immediately. I'll be in the office in a few minutes and I better have someone that knows what's going on waiting on line one." She ordered before snapping her small black cell phone shut.

Nanao had just had a house built and was busy moving in. She'd intended on taking the week off to get as much settled as she could at once, but after being informed that a multi-million dollar account had been terminated at the last second she knew she would have to handle this personally. The company of course had a top notch contract recruitment team, but as the saying goes, "if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

After she had gotten her Masters Degree in Business, Nanao had started a small communications company with a few of her fellow graduates. There was Ukitake Juushirou, the former CEO that had stepped down due to health complications; Urahara Kisuke, head of the technological developments department; and, the child prodigy himself, Hitsugaya Toushirou who was in charge of marketing. They'd done very well in their first few years and had steadily grown into the international company they were with their headquarters stationed in Japan.

Nanao had turned out to be extremely shrewd when it came to contract negotiations. She'd yet to have a contract completely drop under her watch and she wasn't about to let today end her perfect score. She stepped out of the large, mirrored elevator and walked through a small waiting room talking to her personal secretary and assistant as she went to unlock her office doors. "Nemu, who did you get on the phone?"

"Mr. Takaya, ma'am." The quiet girl answered.

"Wonderful, I'll have this contract back before lunch. Oh and I'm sorry about yelling over the phone earlier. You're doing a wonderful job so far. Hold all calls until I'm through with this."

"Yes ma'am."

It had taken two hours of talking about benefits, profit possibilities, and renegotiating certain parts of the previous contract, but she'd done it. Nanao's perfect run remained intact. Pulling out a phone book, Nanao let her long and slender fingers flip through the pages until she came across the name she was searching for. She quickly jotted down the name and number on a Post-It and stood up from her large steel and glass desk. She exited 

the large office, brief case in hand, and stopped by Nemu's desk before leaving for the day. "I want you to contact this man. He's a local artist and I want to commission him to do a portrait for me. Do not give him my name, only tell him about the commission and that I will only meet with him sometime this week for an early supper to discuss the portrait and payment. I'm leaving for the day. Be sure to call me immediately after you contact him to tell me when and where we'll meet."

"Yes ma'am." Nemu confirmed as she watched the elevator doors shut and take her boss away. Kurotsuchi Nemu had started working in the mail room of the building a couple of years prior and had steadily worked her way up to the position she now held. Dialing the number she'd been handed she listened to one ring…two ring…three ring…and then the phone was picked up and a deep voice answered,

"Yea?"

"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of my employer who wishes to have a painting commissioned. May I speak with a Mister…Kyouraku Shunsui?"

"Speaking."

Nanao had just finished placing her last book on one of the many shelves of her home office when the phone clipped to her side began to ring. "Nanao speaking…" she answered.

"Ms. Ise, I spoke with the Mr. Kyouraku you asked me to contact and he said that if you could only meet with him this week, he could only meet with you tonight at six o'clock. Should I tell you where or call back and cancel?"

"No, no, I can be ready by six. Where am I meeting him?"

A few hours later Nanao stood in her black high heels, black pencil skirt, and white blouse as she waited for her next appointment to show up. Glancing down at her watch for the third time since arriving and said "He's late." It was already 6:30 when a blue motor-bike pulled into the small parking lot and a man stepped off and grabbed a large black folder strapped to the back to replace it with his helmet. He was tall and wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a white, collared button-down that wasn't buttoned or tucked in. "I see you've let your hair grow." Nanao said in an annoyed voice.

"Nanao-chan? Is that you?? It's been years! What are you doing here?" Shunsui asked.

"I'm your potential client. I hope you have some impressive samples to show me. But really, McDonalds?" she asked as she watched another group of children run past her. "You could have picked anywhere in the city and you pick McDonalds of all places??"  


"Am I paying for myself?" he questioned.

"No. I asked you to meet me so it's only polite that I pay."

"Then is it too late to change my choice?" he asked with a laugh and child-like smile.

"Not as long as you agree to actually tuck in and button your shirt. Let's go, I'll drive."

They arrived at one of the cities nicer restaurants a few minutes later after a tense and silent car ride. Upon being seated Shunsui looked around and said "Wow Nanao-chan, you must really be doing well for yourself to come here for just a small meeting."

"I suppose so. I heard that you'd decided to become a starving artist instead of putting that expensive education of yours to work. Honestly Shunsui, how can you afford to meet potential clients at McDonalds? You didn't know it was me so I can only assume you would show up to an actual business engagement like that."

He only let out a light chuckle and said, "So that's why you called me out here? To just tell me that I'm wasting my life? I thought you stopped playing my mother when you walked out the door that night."

"Don't bring that up," she said as she adjusted her glasses and ordered a glass of wine. "And that's not why I contacted you. I really do want to commission a piece of art and Juushirou said that you were actually very good with your art. I just had a house built and would like a portrait of the land that it sits on."

"I wouldn't mind painting for you. I'll even cut the price in half…for old time's sake, Nanao-chan." He offered with a grin.

"First, I will pay the full price just as any other client would. Second, it's not "Nanao-chan". You are being far too informal."

"Fine, fine; Ise-san then?" he conceded as he held up his hands in defense.

"That's better. I would like to see some of your work though. As I recall you were very abstract when you started painting and that's not what I'm looking for."

Without a word Shunsui handed her the black folder that contained several prints of various pieces of art. They were all finely detailed and of a very professional quality. "These are quite beautiful. Yes, I think you would be perfect for this job. It looks like we're just about finished but would you like anything to eat?"

"No thank you. I really should get back so I can finish up a few other projects before 

starting on yours. Just have your assistant call me again when you're ready for me to come see this house of yours. Good evening, Ise-san."

"Wait, you're not going to walk are you?"

"Why not? It's a nice evening and I'll get some exercise. Good evening." He said as he bowed his head and walked out the door.

A shocked Nanao laid down the money to pay for her drink and ran out the door after him. "Wait! Who are you? What happened to you?? The Kyouraku Shunsui I used to know would have at least had a few drinks and been begging me to drive him home."

"It's been years since we've seen each other or even spoken, Nanao-chan. A lot can happen in that much time. I can see that you've changed some. Am I not allowed to do the same, Nanao-chan?"

"No, you're not! You're supposed to be the same lazy, drinking, procrastinator that you've always been! You can be so infuriating." She vented as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Why do you always change just when I think I know you?"

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, Nanao-chan. I'll see you later!" He answered calmly as he walked away and waved. He'd expected a lecture and as always his Nanao-chan didn't disappoint.

A week passed by and Nanao was still fuming about how her meeting had gone. She would occasionally pace and glare at the phone. "I don't need him to paint anything for me. There are plenty of other artists in this city." But she sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Then again, Juushiro did ask me to hire him as a favor…but how could he be so unprofessional to ask to meet at McDonalds and the show up in jeans?! He can't be making enough money that he can afford to make that kind of first impression. Ugh! How can he be so careless?!"

Nanao wasn't sure why this one brief meeting had allowed him under her skin in a way that she thought to have ended long ago, but she didn't like it. She picked up the handset of her desk phone, pushed one of the speed-dial numbers, and then placed the handset back down after activating the speakerphone feature.

A male voice picked up on the other end; "Hello?"

"Juushirou, are you aware that your friend meets his potential clientele in JEANS?! I don't care one way or the other if he's throwing his life away like this, but surely you must. Talk some sense into that man!"

"Well hello to you too, Nanao-san." Ukitake responded with a laugh. "Would you like to 

talk about it? How did the meeting go, other than the jeans thing?"

"You were right about his art being good, but if I didn't know him there's no way I would have even taken a look at the folder! Tell him to invest some money in a suit!"

"Oh, but I already have quite a few, Nanao-chan." A new voice spoke up as her office door quietly shut.

The polished elevator doors opened with a 'ding' and a man stepped out as Nemu continued to finish the sentence she was typing for an email to go out to the division heads. With the punctuation in place she looked up to the tall, dark, and handsome man in front of her desk. He had had long, dark hair that waved down his back in a low ponytail. He was well dressed in a tailored black suit with a pressed crimson button-down and black silk tie. "Is Ise-san in? I believe I made an appointment for this time."

Nemu just nodded her head as she couldn't find her words for the moment.

"Wonderful," the man answered with a smile. "I'm an old friend so I'll just let myself in and surprise her." Then he walked past Nemu's desk and she noticed his black polished shoes that completed his look as he disappeared through the door.

Shunsui entered the office just in time to hear Nanao ranting about their meeting and telling someone that he should buy a suit. Looking down at his current attire, he looked back up and said "Oh, but I already have quite a few, Nanao-chan." He watched with amusement as she whipped around to see him standing by her office door.

"Shunsui, is that you? So you did make that appointment. I'm glad to hear it!" Ukitake said through the phone.

"Ukitake! Well this has turned out to just be a fun, if a little odd, reunion." Shunsui answered as he crossed the room to stand on the opposite side of Nanao's desk as she just gave him a heated look.

"Juushirou, Kyouraku, what's going on here? Why are you even here? And where did you get that suit??" Nanao asked as she motioned to his clothes with her hand.

"I told him that he should make an appointment to come see you this week if he hadn't heard from you by last Friday." Ukitake explained.

"Yes, and really Nanao-chan, you should pay more attention to who you have appointments with and when. You apparently never know who will walk into your office." He jokingly chided with a wave of his finger.

Nanao stood in an angry silence as her eye twitched before she said "You," pointing a finger 

at Shunsui, "sit. We're going to have a talk. Juushirou, I hope you're feeling well and I will talk with you later." And then she proceeded to hang up and sit in her soft leather chair.

Shunsui was looking around her office noticing some polished steel shelves lining the walls with several books, diplomas, and certificates of different accomplishments. When he turned his attention to the woman in front of him he saw her to be sitting behind a large desk that was also made of polished steel with the exception of the transparent glass surface. She only had her laptop, cell phone, and a few folders lying on top. He had to admit that she looked a little intimidating sitting in the large leather rolling chair with her arms crossed across her chest. "With all of this steel one might get the impression of a cold woman, Nanao-chan." Shunsui observed.

"I told you to stop addressing me as "Nanao-chan". And you'll wear a suit to come see me, but not when you go meet your clients? That's at least like the old Shunsui I used to know…irresponsible."

"While I do like to look nice for you Ise-san, I had a few other important errands to make before coming here today. And this cold office might actually suit you if I'm to go by the icy greeting I've received."

Brushing off the icy comment Nanao continued, "What errands did you have to run that you needed a suit??"

"Have you already eaten lunch?"

"What?" She answered after a brief pause.

"Have you already eaten lunch?" he asked again but much slower.

"No, but what does that matt—"

"Then come have lunch with me." He interrupted.

"Why? I'm busy." She answered.

"I'll make it worth your while, I promise." He said as he raised his right hand.

Thinking it over for a moment, Nanao reached over to press a button on her intercom. "Nemu, I'll be stepping out to lunch shortly. I'm not sure when I'll return so please take messages from all calls." Then she lifted her finger from the button and sighed. "Let me get my coat."

They walked through the concrete parking lot together, but as she started walking toward her car Shunsui reached out to grab her arm and guide her in another direction. "No, no, 

no. You drove last time. It's my turn." He said with a smile.

"If you think I'm getting on that bike, you've lost your mind." She protested.

"Then luckily I didn't ride my bike today." He said as he pulled out a set of keys and pressed a button on a small remote. A 'beep beep' echoed through the air and Nanao looked up to see the lights flash on a spotless black car. As they got closer Shunsui started to talk. "That, my dear Nanao, is a black, manual transmission, eight-cylinder, 2003 Ford Mustang GT with a black convertible top, black interior, and leather seats. It's my baby." He chirped with a boyish grin.

"Impressive." Was all she said as she opened the door and sat down. She noticed that there was a single pink, dried flower hanging from his rearview mirror.

Shunsui sat down as well and started the car only to sit there for a moment and listen to the engine. With a content sigh he backed up and pulled out of the parking lot. "So Ise-san, where should we go for lunch?"

"You're the one driving, so you should choose." She stated as she looked out the window at the scenery.

"I know just the place then! It'll be a nice little surprise for you though." He said in a happy tone.

After about thirty minutes of driving, Shunsui parked and they entered a very nice sushi bar. Nanao looked down to the menu after being seated and saw that the prices were nothing to sneeze at. Turning her attention to her companion she asked "You are aware of how expensive this is, right?"

With a confirming "Mhmm" Shunsui waved a waiter over and gave him the order. "Well while we're waiting on our lunch I think it would be a wonderful time to catch up on old times! What have you been up to these past few years?"

"I think it would be more productive to discuss the commission I inquired about. When can you start?"

"You're a joy-kill; I'll tell you what I've been up to then." He said as he heard Nanao sigh. "After deciding to fall into the roll of 'starving artist' I moved out of my old apartment and into a larger flat that doubles as an art studio; it's not much, but it's home. You're turn."

"You really are unbelievable, you know that? That can't be a stable source of income. What happens when your art doesn't sell? Do you have a plan so that you don't end up on the street?" But Nanao stopped there after seeing the hurt feeling pass over his face. "Never mind. For the past few years I've been pretty caught up in my work. I worked with an architect and designed the house that I recently had built and spent last week finishing moving in."  


"Are you happy?" Shunsui asked as the waiter returned with a fairly large platter of fresh sushi.

"I'm perfectly content. I have a dream home, dream job, and a steady income. I can't imagine things getting much better." She answered as she popped a piece of salmon in her mouth.

"Well it sounds like things are going pretty well for you. I'm glad." He said in his deep, velvety voice. The rest of the meal went peacefully with small talk between bites. When the check came Nanao reached for it but Shunsui beat her to it saying "Nuh-uh little Nanao. This is my treat." And he slipped a credit card in the small black book. After being given back his card and receipt they got up and left for the car.

Once inside Shunsui turned to Nanao and said "I have something I want to show you. Are you interested?"

Nanao glanced at her watch and decided that going back to the office today wouldn't do much good and said "Sure, just let me call my assistant and inform her that I won't be returning today."

"Excellent."

A short drive later they arrived at a large building. As Nanao stared up at the beautiful architecture of the white building, Shunsui walked around and opened her door for her and extended his hand for her to take. Once she placed her small hand in his much larger one he gently pulled her out of the car and looped her arm around his as they walked through the front glass doors.

"I'm sorry, but we won't have any exhibitions for about another few weeks." A voice called from a back room at hearing the door open and close.

"It's me Kotetsu-san! I've brought a friend for an early peek."

A young woman poked he head around a corner and smiled when she saw them. She had short silvery hair and a shy smile. "I didn't think I would see you again until the opening night, Kyouraku-san. Feel free to walk around. I'll be in the back if you need anything."

"Thanks Isane. Come, Nanao-chan. It's this way."

"Don't call me "Nanao-chan". What's this way? Who was that?" She spouted off.

"That was Kotetsu Isane. She's an art dealer that works here at the gallery. Her younger sister is an assistant of Ukitake's and they introduced us. And you'll see what this way is 

when we get there, Ise-san." They walked in silence for a while until they came to a hallway. "Go ahead," he said motioning down the hall. "Take a look. Take your time and enjoy yourself."

Nanao walked down the hall and looked at all the paintings and photographs. There were portraits of people, animals, landscapes, and several other things. Once she reached the end of the hall she slowly walked back as she looked at the artwork hanging on the opposite wall. When she once again stood in front of Shunsui she looked at him and asked "What is all this?"

Shunsui put his hands on her shoulders, took a few steps back, and then turned her around to point up at a banner that was hanging above the hallway's entrance. She read the name aloud, "Kyouraku Shunsui." She turned back around to see him smiling brightly and said "All of those were yours?"

"Every last one, but come on. I have one more surprise for the day," he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her off toward another hallway that was labeled "Dealer's Selections." After passing several paintings they came to stop in front of a large canvas that had a beautiful garden scene and a woman sitting in a chair with a book hiding her face. "What do you think?"

Nanao could only stare at it, taking in every detail of each flower. After several minutes of admiration she answered, "It's beautiful. Yours?"

"I'm glad you think so, and yes. It's another one of mine. Now that you've seen some of my art up close, do you still want me to do a portrait of your home?"

Nanao only nodded as she continued to drink in the picture. "Good. I much prefer for people to see my actual work instead of prints before I do a commission."

"Very admirable of you." She complimented upon turning her attention back to him. "Well since you showed me your art, would you like to see the house you'll be painting?

"Very much, Ise-san." Shunsui said with grin. They walked back out to his car and Nanao gave him the directions and it was a fairly quiet car ride except for the soft sound of the radio. They drove to the outskirts of the city to a much less densely populated area and turned into a long driveway with many trees. It was a large plot of land that was still covered with some forest. A small clearing revealed a beautiful house. It was two stories and sat on posts about a foot off the ground and was made almost entirely of a dark wood with large picture windows serving as a few walls. The living room was clearly visible from outside and if there was a fire lit in the fireplace it would have caused the bottom level of the house to glow. The sunset in the background only added to the beauty of scene.

Shunsui stepped from the car and just stared at what could be considered an artist's dream. "It's perfect. At first I thought having a painting done of a new house was a bit conceited but after seeing this I understand why. This must have cost you a pretty penny, Ise-san."  


"Several pretty pennies; but it was all worth it. I intend to live here for the rest of my life and I didn't want to wait and build it when I got old. I've always dreamed of this house."

"I suppose it only makes sense for a beautiful woman to have beautiful dreams," he complimented.

Nanao coughed and tried to hide her blush as she said "Would you like to come in for a glass of wine?"

"No thank you, Ise-san. I should be going. I'll contact you later this week to let you know when I can start your painting. Good evening and pleasant dreams…Nanao-chan." And before she could correct him he got in his car and drove back down the driveway.

'I wonder how much art he actually sells…there was a lot in that gallery.' Nanao thought as she walked up the steps to her front door. It wasn't until she got to her kitchen and was looking in her refrigerator that a thought struck her. "He never took me back to get my car!"

A/N:  
okay, so since I have several chapters done on A Past Forgotten and I'm almost through with the fifth chapter of Sing For Me that went MIA, I decided to start this fic. The idea came into my head while the bf and I were discussing my other Bleach fic and I couldn't wait to start this. I just hope that I'm not going to get in over my head here cause this'll put me writing 3 fics that are posted, 1 that isn't, and 2 books haha I need a lot to work on so I can switch around otherwise I get bored and don't finish anything : I should have the next chapter of this up soon if I don't do another double post today. Hope you enjoyed and be sure to tell me what you think! Oh! And on a side note, Shun-kun's car is GORGEOUS. Will's dad has one just like it only the body is Performance Red instead of black. I grew up around cars and I like em Mustang's are probably my fav's though!

TTFNFWA


	2. Meetings & Memories

Chapter two: Meetings and Memories

Nanao walked outside the next morning, locking her front door behind her, to go to the awaiting car parked in front of her house. When she got in she said, "Thanks for picking me up Kisuke. I hope it wasn't too far out of your way."

"Not at all Nanao-san!" He responded waving it off. "I wanted to come see this magnificent new house of yours anyway. You should have a house warming party! I hear that Matsumoto-san, Toushirou-kun's assistant, is quite the party thrower. You should give her a call."

"I don't think so, Kisuke. I prefer to just be alone with a good book, you know that. Parties make me uncomfortable. Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, do you know how Juushirou has been doing lately? I talked to him yesterday but only for a minute."

Kisuke was quiet at first but eventually said, "He's not doing so well. His blood work came back last week and it was confirmed that he does have tuberculosis, but they're trying to do everything they can to treat it. He's probably not going to be coming back to work though…not unless it's something like a board member so he only has to come to the meetings."

"That's terrible. He's so young. I don't think a board position is out of the question. I'd really like to keep him in the company since he helped us build it and everything. Does Toushirou-san know about this?"

"The last time I talked to Juushirou he said I was the second person aside from his family that he'd told, so I don't think he knows yet."

"Who else has he told?"

"Shunsui."

"Ah, of course." Nanao said with a tone to her voice that Kisuke couldn't quite place.

"Well here we are. Do you want me to let you out in the front or would you rather walk from the parking lot?" Kisuke asked with a laugh.

"With these heels I'll take the front of the building thanks." Nanao replied with a smile. "See you later! And if you hear anything else on Juushirou you'd better tell me."

"Will do." And with that Kisuke drove off, leaving Nanao to her thoughts.

Ukitake was like the big brother she'd never had. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she ever lost him. Aside from a personal loss, the company would suffer too. He was the one that could always help anyone with any problem. If the founding members were having disagreements on something he could always calmly mediate and make everyone happy. 

"Everyone needs him…" she said to herself as she stepped into the elevator yet again.

Nanao arrived at her office a few minutes later and immediately after the elevator doors opened Nemu was by her side with a small stack of messages and a list of her appointments for the day. "Oh! And Ise-san, you had a delivery early this morning. It's sitting on your desk." Nemu said in her quiet voice with a smile.

"A delivery? From who?"

"I don't know, ma'am. I thought it impolite to read the card."

"Card? What in the world—" but Nanao stopped short when she opened her office door and saw a large vase with a mixture of one dozen red, pink, and white roses with baby's breath sitting on her desk. She quickly walked across the room to set her briefcase down and pick up the card that came with it. She read aloud "One dozen warm colored flowers for the cold office of the beautiful Nanao-chan. PS-sorry about your car. Yours truly, K. Shunsui." And she couldn't help but laugh. "I'm going to throttle him if he doesn't stop calling me "Nanao-chan".

As the day went on everyone that came into Nanao's office commented on the beautiful and fragrant bouquet. A little after noon Ukitake came in to see her, much to her surprise. "Oh Juushirou, what are you doing here?? How do you feel? Here, sit down and rest." She said as she ushered him over to one of the chairs that sat in front of her desk.

He let out an understanding laugh and said "So who told you?"

As Nanao sat in the chair next to his she avoided eye contact and gently said, "Kisuke…I'm so sorry Juushirou. If there's ever anything I can do you let me know, okay?"

"Calm down, Nanao," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and smiled at her. "It's still in very early stages and I'll be fine with treatment. I might just get coughing fits from time to time. I came by to get something from Kisuke and bring Toushirou a little snack, but I still want to maintain some roll in the company and decided to come see you, Ms. CEO." He teased.

"I was really hoping you would want to stay with us," she said with a relieved smile. "I was hoping maybe you could still be on the board as chairman maybe…but it's entirely up to you. You can take any position you want. I'll find a way to make it work."

"I told you to calm down. Being a board member sounds fine. Just be sure to inform me of meeting times and it would be wonderful if you could fax any documents I might need to my home office."

"Done and done."  


"Great! Well it feels like forever since I've seen you. How have you been?"

"Fine, busy as ever with work and still settling in to the new house, but everything has been going great. I finally got things settled with Shunsui about that commission and he's going to call me sometime this week to let me know when he can start."

"And speaking of our budding artist, what did you two do yesterday? I heard you went missing yesterday afternoon and didn't even return to get your car." He said with a tone that was implying something Nanao didn't really think was as funny as he apparently thought it was.

"First off, he's YOUR 'budding artist.' He's not MY anything—"

"How cold, Nanao." He cut in.

"And second," she continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, "we went to lunch, saw some of his art, and then he took me home so he could see the house. We didn't remember until later that I'd left my car here. That's all."

"To see the house? Just the outside or the inside too?" he asked with a wink.

Nanao reached over to swat his arm and tell him off for being too liberal with his assumptions when Nemu came in over the intercom and said "Ise-san, Kyouraku-san is on line one."

"Speak of the devil. And you're dead wrong if you think this is over, Ukitake." She said as she stood to press the line button and the speakerphone button so she could sit back down.

"Uh-oh, you only call me Ukitake when I'm in trouble. When did you get the new assistant by the way?" he asked quietly.

Shushing him, Nanao turned her attention to the phone. "Ise Nanao speaking."

"Nanao-chan! Did you get my roses?"

In his chair Ukitake looked at Nanao and mouthed "Roses?" to which she pointed to a side table against the wall where they sat.

"Yes, I got them. It was very unnecessary though, and don't worry about my car. It's just as much my fault for forgetting. Luckily Kisuke was able to pick me up this morning." She watched as Ukitake got up and walked over to smell one of the red ones which greatly contrasted against his white hair that framed his face as he bent down. He looked back at her with raised eyebrows showing that he was mildly surprised his best friend had sent such a lovely bouquet.

"Well I think it was a very gentlemanly thing to do, Shunsui." Ukitake spoke up.

"Ukitake? Haha how do we three keep having these phone meetings? And thank you for recognizing a gift of appreciation when you see it my friend."

"I heard you got to see Nanao-san's new house yesterday. I'm jealous; I still haven't seen it yet. Kisuke said he suggested a house warming party this morning, but she apparently turned it down." Ukitake said feigning sadness.

"Well I think a party would be a wonderful thing to do. That house would be stunning at night, all lit up with people inside having a good time. What do you say, Nanao-chan?" Shunsui asked.

"I'll tell you two the same thing I told Kisuke—"

"What did you tell me?" Kisuke chimed as he entered and closed her office door.

With a large sigh Nanao sat heavily down in her chair, propping her feet (shoes and all) up on her desk, and put a hand to her forehead. "I was just telling these two that I just told you this morning that I'm uncomfortable at parties and therefore will NOT be hosting one."

"Which two?" Kisuke asked. "I only see Ukitake."

"I'm here too, Kisuke." Shunsui spoke up.

"Well then, it's almost just like old college days…if only Toushirou was here then it would be complete." Ukitake said with a bright smile.

"Good luck getting him up here. He's just as dedicated to his work as ever. No time for slacking like us!" Kisuke said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't be slacking if I weren't surrounded by three men who had decided to strike up a chat in my office. Now I know at least one of you has a purpose here, and that's Juushirou. Kyouraku-san you're next. What do you want?"

"Who sent you roses, Nanao?" Kisuke asked from off to the side.

"That would be me," Shunsui answered. "And, dear Ise-san, even though I'm not permitted to call you "Nanao-chan" I wish you would call me Shunsui. There's no need to be so formal with me. And I called to tell you that I've finished with my last project and can start yours at any time."

"I'll think about it Kyouraku-san, and I'm glad to hear it. What would be the best time of day for you to paint?"

"I thought the house was especially beautiful about the time we were there yesterday. 

Would that be okay? Around six o'clock?"

"That would be fine. That's usually what time I get home if I don't get caught doing something here."

"Perfect! I'll get to paint a beautiful house and see a beautiful woman. What else can a man ask for?"

Sighing Nanao said, "Are you quite done with everything you needed to talk to me about, Kyouraku-san?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then goodbye." Nanao cut him off as she stood up and hung up the phone. "Okay, Kisuke, your turn. What did you come up here for?"

"Oh, I just came to see if Ukitake here had left yet." He said with one of his not-so-innocent smiles. His attention was drawn to Ukitake as his phone started to ring and he excused himself to a corner to answer the call.

"I know that look and know you're up to something. I don't even want to know what it's about, just so long as it doesn't involve me I don't care." She said with an air of finality and sat back down in her chair only to watch Ukitake walk over to stand beside her desk, push a button on the side of the small phone, and set it down on the desk.

"Hello again everyone!" Shunsui's cheerful voice filled the room once again.

Nanao quickly reached across the desk and grabbed the phone to say "And goodbye again, Shunsui."

"Hey! She called me Shun—" –click-

"Ukitake, you have officially lost your phone privileges until you leave this building. I'll walk you out when you leave and give you your phone back then."

"Playing 'Mother' again, huh Nanao?" Kisuke teased.

"If we're playing 'Mother' then I'm going to ground you from your lab for a week and confine you to doing paperwork if you don't get back to work within the next…ten minutes." Nanao said as she glanced at her watch. She then heard Ukitake's phone, which was still in her hand, go off and saw the caller ID bring up 'Shun'. She flipped the phone open, pressed answer, quickly said "No," and flipped it shut again in one smooth motion.

"I guess I'll be going now. Call me sometime Ukitake. We'll get Shunsui and go have some drinks!" Kisuke called as he walked out of the office.

"I've never had such a scattered meeting…" Nanao said as she leaned her head back in her chain. Her stomach chose that moment to let out an unusually loud growl and Ukitake couldn't help but laugh.

"When was the last time you ate, Nanao-san?"

"Last night…" she groaned as she closed her eyes. "I didn't have time this morning and ended up working through lunch to get caught up on the work I missed yesterday."

"Are you caught up?"

"And then some. I ended up getting a lot more done that I thought. I should start working through lunch more often. I could increase my productivity and lose weight at the same time." She laughed.

"You don't need to lose any more weight. You're thin enough already. And if you're caught up enough for today's work as well I'm taking you to lunch. No arguments young lady." He ordered as he pulled her up from her chair. "You may play 'Mother' to Shunsui, Toushirou, Kisuke, and I but the fact remains that the only one you're actually older than is Hitsugaya-kun. Come on, where should we go?" he asked as he grabbed her coat.

"Anywhere I can just get a salad."

"No, you're going to get something with more to it than that even if I have to order it for you and force you to eat it."

"Fine, Juushirou. I'm too hungry to argue."

"That's a good girl." He said as he patted her head, draped his arm around her shoulder, and they walked out of the office together.

"So how did you get me to come here again?" Nanao asked as she looked down at a piece of the hot, cheese covered dish she was currently holding.

"Because I love you and decided to commemorate my last day eating pizza with you. The doctors said that I should try to eat healthy so that I could strengthen my immune system…so alas, today is the last day." He explained and then took a happy bite.

Nanao was still looking at the slice she still held. She never really cared for pizza. It could just be so messy sometimes…and dangerous if it was too hot. As she was about to take her first bite she noticed Ukitake trying to glance under the table discreetly without much luck. "What in the world are you doing?"

There was a 'snap' and he sat up and said "Nothing."  


"You know if you need to check the time or make a call or anything I won't consider it rude."

"Well…"

"You WOULD, however, consider it rude to be sending me a text message." Shunsui said as he approached their table.

Ukitake promptly got a death glare and Nanao said, "You didn't…" to which she got no response. "Could you two be a little more immature today? Really…who texts anymore other than high school students." And with a huff Nanao said, "If you two will excuse me I'm going to the little girl's room."

They watched their friend leave and Shunsui slid into the side of the booth that Nanao had been occupying. "I think I'm pushing my luck with her. What am I even doing here?" He said with a sad smile as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"You've always pushed your luck with her," Ukitake said as he continued to munch on his pizza. "I still don't understand what happened between you two; she never told me and you never REALLY told me. You're my best friend, Shun, but she's like another sister to me and—"

At this point Shunsui held up his hand and said, "I know how you feel Ukitake, but there's really nothing to tell. She walked out the door five years ago and last week was the first time I'd heard from her or seen her since graduation." He paused there and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought and said, "I guess just hearing from her made me think of old times…it's probably a bit too optimistic to think I can get that back though, huh?"

"I'm not sure. But if I were you I'd try to keep a fairly professional relationship with her right now…and stop calling her that old pet-name." Ukitake said with a smile. "Want some pizza?"

"Sure! Oh look, here comes the lovely Ise-san to grace us with her presence again."

"Move over, Juushirou. I'm sitting with you." Nanao said as she sat down next to her friend and once again tried to eat her slice of pizza.

After lunch Nanao said she was going to return to her home and invited Ukitake over to see the house. "I would love to come see it. Especially since Shunsui and Kisuke have already seen it." he said as he faked a pout.

"Well don't worry; you'll be the first person to see the interior." She said as she slid into her car and before she pulled away she rolled down her window and said, "Are you coming, 

Shunsui?"

To say that he and Ukitake were shocked would be an understatement. They looked at each other and shrugged before he said, "I'd be happy to accept the invitation." He then donned his helmet and climbed onto his bike to follow his friends to the secluded house.

When the guys arrived at the house Nanao was already unlocking the front door and waiting for them to come onto the porch. "Come on in. Would either of you like anything to drink? I have tea, water, coffee, juice, wine, and sake."

"Tea would be nice, Nanao-san." Ukitake said with a smile as he walked around the living room.

"Would you like anything to drink, Shunsui?" She asked and was just waiting for him to throw in a request for sake, but she was stunned when he replied,

"I'll have a cup of tea as well, Ise-san. Thank you."

She was shocked and briefly wondered if he was sick before she walked back to the kitchen to start the water to boil for the tea. "Is green tea okay guys?" she called from the kitchen.

"Yea." They replied in unison. "Nanao-san, would you mind if I walked around the house and looked at the different rooms?" Ukitake asked.

"Not at all; make yourself at home."

Ukitake started to walk up the stairs when he looked at Shunsui and said "Are you coming?"

"Nah, I'll just stay down here and check out the living room. I don't think she'd like me to go poking around her house, she likes you better." He said as he laughed.

With a shrug Ukitake continued up the steps and looked in the different doors at the different rooms. He came across her office which was right next to her master bedroom. He walked in and looked at her extensive book collection that lined the walls of the room. He saw on her desk she only kept one photograph and letting his curiosity get the better of him he picked it up to see what she would keep to look at. As soon as he picked up the picture and looked at it his eyes widened, but he neatly set it back in its place when he heard Nanao call up the stairs that the tea was ready.

They sat in the living room talking and laughing at old memories for a couple of hours before Ukitake looked at the clock on the wall and announced that he should be leaving soon. Shunsui agreed and Nanao walked them both to the door and smiled as she waved goodbye once they'd made it to their vehicles. "Hey Shun, do you want to come back to my place for a little bit? We need to talk."

"Sure." He answered. He could tell that Ukitake had turned serious about something all of a 

sudden and wondered what it was about. They drove back into the city and went uptown to Ukitake's large and luxurious apartment. "So what's up?" He asked his friend as they walked in and headed toward the plush couches.

"I found something while I was walking through Nanao-san's house today…there was a picture on her desk…"

"…a picture of what??" Shunsui asked when his friend paused.

"It was a copy of a picture of us when we were in high school together. It was the one taken outside the school gates where you were holding Nanao-san in a bridal fashion and Kisuke, Hitsugaya-kun, and I were standing around you. Do you remember that day?"

Shunsui chuckled as he leaned back and remembered the day clearly. "Yea; we had convinced the student council to let us have a senior dance that year and the picture was taken the day before. We were all seniors except little Nanao-chan…" he reminisced in a far away voice. "Why would she keep something like that, I wonder?"

"I don't know," Ukitake said, "but I thought I should tell you. I know what you've been thinking ever since you heard from her last week and I wanted to remind you that I was the one that watched her cry over you. It took her a long time to move on, Shun. I care about both of you very much and would love to see you both happy again, but if I won't let her get hurt like that again."

Shunsui stood up and stretched as he picked his helmet up off the coffee table in front of him and looked at his friend to say, "Don't worry, Ukitake. I doubt she'd ever take me back, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything like that repeated itself. I'll see you later, buddy." And with that confession he walked out the door to head back to his flat.

That night Shunsui dreamed of a happier time of his life years prior:

It was the first day of his fourth and final year of high school along with his friends Ukitake Juushirou, Urahara Kisuke, and Hitsugaya Toushirou. They had been walking down the hall together joking and laughing when he saw her. It was as if time slowed down when their eyes met for a brief second and she continued to walk past him and continue a conversation she was having with one of her classmates. It was a fleeting moment that probably wouldn't have fazed anyone else, but in that one second Shunsui felt as if he'd found the girl of his dreams.

When his friends noticed that he was turned around and watching a dark haired girl walk away from him, Kisuke chimed in "She has nice legs. Do you know each other? Or are you just scouting possible conquests for the year?"

"No…I mean…I don't know…who is she?" Shunsui asked as he slowly turned around to face 

forward again.

"I think her name's Ise Nanao. She's a second year student. She's friends with one of my sister's I think. From the couple of times I've talked to her she seems like a very nice and intelligent girl." Ukitake said.

"Nanao…" He let the name roll off his tongue. He didn't see her for a few days after that, but she occupied his every waking thought. It was a few days later when he was walking out of the school gates at the end of the day that he saw her bent down in the middle of the sidewalk trying to collect some of her things. He studied her long, slender legs for a moment before he approached her and leaned down to help. Apparently the strap of her school bag had broken and several of her belongings had fallen out in the process. "Here you go." He offered with a smooth voice and charming smile as he held out a few papers he'd picked up.

"Th-thank you." She stuttered with a blush as she accepted his help. As she stood back up, clutching her bag to her chest, she glanced at the ground and said, "That was very kind of you to help, senpai."

"I never mind helping a pretty girl in trouble." He complimented. "May I walk you home? I'll carry your bag for you so you won't have to worry about it."

She blinked a few times and smiled as she said, "I would greatly appreciate it." She extended her bag to him which he took and tucked under his arm and they started walking down the street.

After a few minutes of silence he asked, "So what's your name?"

"Um…Ise Nanao," she answered timidly. "What's yours?"

"Kyouraku…Kyouraku Shunsui." He replied with another one of his handsome smiles. He watched as she blushed again and found that even though she was very shy, which was a lot different from the usual girls he chased after, he thought her coy nature was very endearing.

"Thank you very much for helping me, Kyouraku-senpai." She said in her meek voice.

"Please, call me Shunsui." He said as he looked down at the much smaller girl with a smile.

"Okay…Shunsui-san."

"That's better." He said. "So where do you live?"

"Just around this next corner." She answered and they walked the rest of the distance in a comfortable silence. "Thank you for walking me home. It really wasn't necessary." She said as she took her bag back from him.  


Shunsui looked up at the house and said, "I don't see any lights on. Are you usually home alone in the afternoons?" He felt a little concerned that a young girl like her would be home alone. After all, there were so many accidents that could happen when one was home alone.

"Yes, my parents are often away on business trips so I'm usually by myself. I'm used to it by now." She explained as she looked back at the empty house.

"You shouldn't be alone like that all the time," he mused more to himself than to her. Thinking for a moment he pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of his bag and began to write as he said, "Here's my number. If anything happens or you ever need help with anything or if you ever just want to talk, give me a call, okay?" And then he handed the piece of paper over to the shocked looking girl.

"Y-yes…" she said as she looked at the paper disbelievingly, and then looked back up at him with a smile and chirped, "Okay! I'll do that." She waved to him as she unlocked her door and stepped inside.

As Shunsui walked down the sidewalk in the same direction he'd come from, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to dial a number. When the opposite line was picked up he said, "Ukitake, I…I think I'm in love…"

A/N:  
Awwww! . a nice little dream sequence to end on. I know in the dream Nanao seemed pretty OOC being all shy and whatnot, but I think she probably was the shy, little, innocent, bookworm type before she met dear Shunsui and got involved with him…I mean, come on…anyone would have to become strict around him : Well I hope you enjoyed this second chapter! As usual I'm open to some other pairing suggestions (although I'm not too sure who all I'm gonna include in this story) but if I can think of a way to work something in I'll do it : so tell me what you think and I'll see youz guyz laterz!

TTFNFWA


	3. Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue, yadda yadda yadda, you know the drill  
ATTENTION: please read the A/N at the bottom for info on future updates

Chapter three: Rain

It was the day after her lunch with Ukitake and Shunsui, and Nanao was sitting behind her office desk, staring off into space and thinking about the dream she'd had the night before:

It was her second year of high school and she'd seen an upperclassman that made her heart race whenever he looked at her. Much to her surprise he'd helped her and even walked her home when the strap of her bag broke and everyone else had merely walked past the next-to-invisible girl.

She'd always been shy and quiet at school, engrossing herself in her schoolwork. She had a few friends but nobody she dared to call a "best friend." They were all more like acquaintances. Most people in the hallways ignored her as she would weave her way in and out of the people to get to her class…but he noticed her. She couldn't ever remember drawing the attention of boys before so it was only natural for her to become a stuttering mess when her senpai, two years older than she, started talking to her. She thought he was incredibly handsome with his brown hair cut short and choppy, a small goatee, and those eyes that would sparkle each time she looked into them. Despite asking his name as part of formalities, she knew who he was. He was part of the student council and with his clichéd tall, dark, and handsome appearance he was very popular with the girls from all the different classes.

It had been about two weeks since he'd given her his phone number and she'd yet to use it because she just couldn't get up the courage. It just stayed on her nightstand where she'd put it the day she'd gotten it.

It was late one night when she'd been watching TV in her room that she heard a noise from downstairs. She opened the door and started to walk down the stairs half-expecting to see one of her parents home early from a trip, but instead she walked in on a scene of several men breaking into her house wearing black clothes and masks. Her eyes widened when one of them looked up and saw her standing stock still on the stairs and her instincts took over and she ran back up to her room and quietly shut and locked the door. She ran to her nightstand to pick up her cell phone and without realizing it she also picked up the piece of paper that hadn't moved in weeks. She ran to her closet and hid inside.

With shaking hands she meant to call the police, but her fingers instead dialed the number on the paper. When a voice answered the phone she could hear laughing in the background while she was already crying. "Shunsui-san," she said as her voice cracked, "help me…" then she 'eep'ed as she heard someone bang on her bedroom door. She dropped the phone and put her hands over her head as she rocked back and forth trying to tell herself that this wasn't happening. The banging continued for a few minutes and she would occasionally hear muffled voices through the walls. But then she heard shouting and things got quiet before she heard the lock on her door click…'They picked it!' she screamed in her head as a terrifying fear took over her body and she began to cry harder. She screamed and cowered further into the small space as her closet door opened and light hit her.

But then she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and pull her into a firm chest with a racing heart. "Nanao-chan…" a voice said in a calming manner. "Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?"

She looked up through tear filled eyes to come face to face with Shunsui. Concern was etched into every inch of his handsome face as a light sheen of sweat covered his brow. She could only dumbly stare back at her savior as she noticed a large red spot on his cheek that was starting to swell. "You…you got hurt…trying to save me…" she said as she gingerly reached up to touch his bruised cheek and he winced slightly.

"I'm fine. I want to know if you're hurt." He said as he took her small hand and looked into her eyes.

She didn't know what to say so she just buried her face in his chest and cried as his strong arms held her close. She only vaguely remembered the police showing up (it turns out Shunsui had called them) and arresting the three men that Shunsui had fought with and been able to knock out. When the police left she could only stand in her living room and look at the mess that was left as she shook. She jumped when she felt a large, warm hand rest on each of her shaking shoulders. She turned around to see her rescuer looking down at her with an understanding smile. "Come on, I'll help you straighten up some." He offered.

As she tried to clean up and put things back in their place, Shunsui rummaged in the kitchen until he found some duct tape and a garbage bag. She stood in the living room and watched him as he walked to a linen closet that she'd pointed out to get a sheet. He came back and cut the garbage bag so that it was a flat piece of plastic. He laid the sheet down on the floor and then the plastic on top of that and proceeded to fold the white sheet to fit perfectly around the plastic and taped it in place. He then took the cotton covered plastic and walked to a window that had been broken out and covered it with his little invention and taped it in place. "There," he said as he stepped back to look at it. "The plastic and tape should keep the cold and wind out and the sheet won't look too bad from the street until you get a chance to replace the glass." He said as he smiled at her. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I-I don't know…it's late so I'll call my parents tomorrow. I'm so tense though, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep at all tonight…I mean…the one place that I've always thought was safe was just invaded…" She answered as she sank to her knees.

"When are your parents coming home?"

"My mom should be home next week…" she said absently.

"Then pack a bag with enough clothes to last you a week. You're coming to stay at my place. We'll work on getting the window repaired and everything, but in the meantime I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you staying here alone either."

"What…what about your parents?"  


"It's just me and my dad. My mom lives with her new husband. Once I explain what happened he won't mind. Actually, I think I would get in trouble if he found out what happened and then found out that I just left you here!" He said with a laugh.

Even with everything she'd just been through she managed a small smile at hearing his laugh. "Thank you, Shunsui-san. I don't know how I can thank you enough for everything you've done tonight." She said as she stood up and hugged him.

The dream ended there, but she went on to think about how she'd packed her bag and gotten her things for school and walked down the dark streets with Shunsui at her side, his arm draped across her shoulders. She remembered meeting his father who became like a third parent to her. She stood up from her desk and walked over to the large windows on the exterior wall of her office and stared out over the city. "What am I doing?" She asked herself. "We tried and had a good run, but it just wasn't meant to be in the end…even so…why do I feel like I'm fifteen again?" Sighing she sat back down and decided to push his memory from her mind so she could get some work done.

Shunsui stood in the middle of the studio area of his large flat and looked around at his art supplies. He'd picked out a few sketching pencils, an easel, and was now choosing between a few different canvases. "Oh, what the hell!" he said as he gave up and grabbed three different sizes to put in his car. "I'll let Nanao choose the size." It was getting close to five o'clock and he knew he'd be leaving soon. But for some reason he was nervous.

"What is wrong with me?" He asked himself as he stood in the elevator holding three white rectangles. "I've known her for years, I've been to her house, so why am I so damn nervous??" He then stepped from the elevator and walked outside to go to his car as he continued to think. 'Could it have something to do with the dream I had last night?'

As he reached his car he started thinking about the encounter they had a couple of weeks after he'd given her his number. He'd been out with his friends goofing around and they were on their way to get something to eat despite how late it was. Kisuke had been talking about something or another and they had been laughing when she called him. He hadn't recognized the number, but he would forever remember her voice at that moment and the fear it held. Without a second thought he'd run in the direction of Nanao's house. He ignored his friends who were calling out from behind him and never slowed his pace as he ran the five or so blocks to her house. Along the way he'd thought to call the police just in case something really bad had happened.

He arrived at the house to see no police and a broken window. He noticed someone dressed in black moving around downstairs and even though he knew it was stupid, he knew he couldn't leave her in there with at least one potentially very dangerous person. He ran up the steps to the front door and entered the house. He was easily able to use his strength to knock out the first thief that was in the living room. Then he heard a banging noise coming from upstairs. He ran up the steps to see two more men banging on a door and trying to get it open. Without thinking about whether or not they could be armed he rushed forward to knock the men away from the door. In the struggle to knock them out as well he'd taken a couple of blows to his side and a hit in the face, but he succeeded and when he was sure the men were unconscious he tried to open the door they'd been banging on to find that it was locked. He took his wallet out and removed his student ID and tried to move the lock so he could open the door.

Once successful, he entered the room but didn't see Nanao anywhere until he heard something in the closet. He slowly walked over to the white doors and slid them open to find a small girl that turned away from him as she screamed. He couldn't bear the thought of her being frightened of him so he gently pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her. After the police had finally come and gone, he had helped clean up and eventually decided that she would stay with him and his father until her parents returned. He remembered the quiet walk back to his house as he carried her bags and she just leaned into him with the need to be protected.

He had explained everything that had happened to his dad while she stood silently once they'd gotten to his home. His dad had looked at her, then looked at him, and then looked back at her and smiled a fatherly smile. "She'll take your room and you'll sleep on the couch, Shunsui." Was all his dad said and then showed her where she'd be sleeping. He had no problem with sleeping on the couch because it folded out into another bed, but for the first couple of nights he felt it shift when she'd silently slip behind him and sleep with her back touching his. Eventually she started staying in his room all night, no longer needing to use him as a safety blanket.

That week had ended too soon in his opinion. But he saw more and more of her as his friends had heard what happened when they'd questioned the large bruise on his face and started inviting her to hang out with them if she was at home alone. Being around the older and rowdier boys had brought Nanao out of her shell quite a bit. She had turned out to be pretty bossy, but not obnoxiously so. She would always tell them when something was a bad idea and when Ukitake's sense of reason didn't kick in she was there to make sure they didn't do anything that could possibly get them arrested. They all cared for her, but for Shunsui it had gone past the platonic relationship his other friends felt for the girl.

His friends hadn't been surprised when he had finally asked her out on a date and were glad that she accepted. They all thought that Nanao would be good for their friend…maybe she could calm him down a little. But it had the opposite effect. It had livened Nanao to the point of being almost as carefree as her boyfriend.

Shunsui continued to reminisce until he looked down at his watch and saw that he was going to be late. "Shit!" he cursed as he grabbed his pencils and a few other supplies that he'd come back up to his flat for and then bolted out the door. He jumped into his car and sped off knowing that if he wasn't there at the right time each day he would miss the perfect lighting and shadows. When he finally pulled into the driveway and came to a stop he could see Nanao's car and what appeared to be Nanao still sitting in her car. He slowly walked up to her window and saw that she was just staring off into space in a very un-Nanao-like way.

Nanao was just sitting in her car thinking about her past like she'd been doing most of the day in her office. 'Why did I let him back into my life? Did I really think I wouldn't get hurt this time? After all these years I'm still as naïve as I ever was.' She thought. She had no idea how long she'd been sitting in her car or how long he'd been standing outside her window watching her, but she was swiftly brought back to reality when Shunsui tapped on the glass. She jumped and turned to see him smiling at her with that smile that hadn't changed since the day she met him. She opened her door and gracefully stepped out of the car and said, "Hello Shunsui. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Ise-san. How are you? You looked a little spacey back there."

"Don't worry about me; I was just caught up in my thoughts. For some reason I've been like that most of the day."

"That's funny, because so have I. Well if it's okay with you I'll just go ahead and start with the outlining sketch for your portrait. Oh! And before you go in would you please choose the size of the canvas you want it on?" he said as he pulled out three different sizes of canvas.

Thinking about it for a moment Nanao answered, "The medium one from the group. If you need anything just let me know, Shunsui."

"I will, Ise-san." He said in a calmer and smoother voice than normal.

"You can call me Nanao." She said as she turned to walk into her house.

Shunsui was just finishing setting up his easel and other tools when he pulled out his phone, dialed Ukitake's number, and set his phone to speakerphone. When the line was picked up a very cheerful Shunsui said, "She's letting me call her Nanao again! Do you think this is a good sign or am I reading into it too much?"

"I can't really say, Shun. Just remember not to try and push things too fast or you'll both just get hurt. Are you out at the house now?"

"Sure am. I'm just starting the sketching." He said as he started a basic outline of the houses different shapes.

"Good. Can you go tell Nanao-san that Kisuke, Hitsugaya-kun, and I are coming to pay her a visit in a little while?"

"So you'll all come visit her, but you never come visit me?" He joked in mock hurt.

"If you would clean once in a while we might come see you sometime instead of dragging you out."

"Touché, my friend, touché. Sure, I'll go tell her in a second."

"Thanks." And with that they hung up.

Shunsui stayed outside a few more minutes until he was satisfied with his very rough sketch and then headed inside to tell Nanao about his phone call with Ukitake. "Okay. I'll fix something for them to eat when they get here. Thanks, Shunsui." She said as she looked out her kitchen window. "Um…Shunsui…did you know that it's raining?"

"What?! Dammit!" he yelled as he ran from the house and tried to pack up his equipment as quickly as he could. He didn't notice that Nanao had been right behind him until they were both standing in the cold, pouring rain trying to collect everything so they could move it inside.

Once they were both back inside the house and thoroughly soaked from head to toe Nanao giggled as she said, "It looks like we should start checking the weather before you start painting from now on. Wait here, I'll get you a towel." She then walked off down a hallway and came back with a towel to let him dry off. "I would offer you some dry clothes, but I don't think I have anything you can wear…" she trailed off. "No, wait a second while I go check something." And she once again walked off only this time she went upstairs. She came back a few minutes later with a pair of red plaid flannel pajama pants.

"Hey, those used to be mine." He said with a smile. "You thought they were so soft that I gave them to you. I thought you would have thrown these out years ago." And with that thought his smile remained but it saddened somewhat.

"Just because I was mad at you I didn't think it was fair to take it out on the most comfortable pants I own." She said with her own smile. "The bathroom is down the hall on the right. You can change and I'll put your clothes in the dryer after that."

"Thanks, Nanao-chan." He said as he walked down the hall she had pointed him toward. When he came back into the living room he found her trying to light a fire…still wearing her wet clothes. He was about to lecture her when he noticed that her small feet were also muddy. Had she ran outside barefoot to help him? "Nanao-chan, you need to change clothes as well. You'll catch a cold if you stay like that, especially if you were out in that with no shoes on." He chided her gently.

Nanao looked up to the man that towered over her and couldn't help but blush. The dark clouds outside made the room itself fairly dark except for the light that was coming from the fire she'd finally been able to start. He stood there before her in his loose pajama pants and shirtless giving her an excellent view of his broad, well muscled chest that she remembered him having so long ago. His wavy hair was still slightly damp and fell around his face which glowed in the fire's light. "I…I'll go change then." She said as she swiftly left the room.

Returning about ten minutes later, Nanao trotted down the stairs in a blue pair of shorts she usually wore around the house and a black tank top. She had taken her hair down from its usual pulled back fashion and had a towel in hand to dry it as much as possible.

Shunsui looked up from his place on the floor in front of the warm fire when he heard Nanao's light footsteps coming down the stairs. The room was getting darker with night approaching and the storm still raging outside. He couldn't see her very well, but he did hear the small click from when she tried to turn on a nearby lamp. "I tried that a few minutes ago. I think your power's out."

"I knew it went out while I was upstairs because my lights went off, but I thought it might be back on by now." She said as she slowly walked toward him.

He watched as she gradually came into the light. He first saw the long and slender, yet toned, legs that he'd admired so much about her when they'd first started dating. She'd filled out some over the years, he noticed. Her stomach was as flat as ever, but her waist and hips were more defined. He thought she'd started working out some because her arms had also toned to a lean and feminine muscle structure. When his eyes settled on her face he was reminded of how he felt the first day he'd ever seen her. The fire's warm glow landed on her gentle face with her perfect skin and defined features. He could see their only source of light sparkling in her blue eyes and slightly reflecting off of her glasses. He had always loved the way her hair would curl slightly when it was wet and fleetingly wondered how long it had been since he'd last seen her wear her black, shoulder-length hair down.

He continued to admire her beauty for a while more as her gaze was drawn to the fire and she was completely unaware of his longing thoughts. 'It's odd…' Shunsui thought as he stood up, 'I spent years trying to forget her and this feeling…but as soon as she comes back into my life all that work seems meaningless…' he now stood beside her staring down at the woman that was a foot shorter than he was.

Noticing a shadow that was cast to her right, Nanao looked up into the dark irises of Shunsui. She felt herself flush at his sudden closeness to her. "Is there anything wrong, Shunsui?" she asked in a voice that she had to force to stay calm.

He reached up and placed one of his large, rough hands on her soft cheek. "Nanao…beautiful Nanao…did I ever tell you that I was sorry?" he asked her in a soft and remorse filled voice.

Nanao's mind had been on the brink of a complete shut-down when she heard the deep emotion in his normally carefree voice. "No…" was all she could manage to say.

"Well I am, Nanao. I've changed. I…I just—"

"Nanao-san!" Ukitake said as he walked in the front door, leaving his umbrella in a plastic container she kept by the door. "That storm is terrible! It's so dark…is your power out?"

As soon as the door opened Shunsui quickly retracted his hand and backed up about a step. "Ukitake! I can see that you made it in one piece. It was horrible! I had just finished my rough sketch of Nanao-chan's beautiful house when it started to rain and now it's ruined! I'll have to start all over again…" he whined to his friend as though an intimate moment hadn't just been interrupted.

"I'll get some candles." Nanao said in a voice that held a tiny hint of rage. She walked to the kitchen and started rummaging through some drawers looking for where she put the candlesticks.

Back in the living room the four men could clearly hear drawers slamming and silverware rattling. It was a clear sign that Shunsui had done something to yet again anger the normally calm Nanao. Once Nanao was out of the room, Kisuke pushed Ukitake's shoulder and said, "Why'd you have to interrupt them?! You and Toushirou-kun are the worst people in the world to spy with…you're both just too damn honest to have fun with."

Shunsui listened to Kisuke whine and rubbed the back of his head as he looked away with a nervous laugh. "So you guys saw that, huh?"

"Only from about the time you stood up," Hitsugaya finally spoke up, "and while I'm thinking about it, why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Oh, that…well both mine and Nanao-chan's clothes got soaked while we were trying to get my stuff inside. The clothes are in the dryer…and I'm guessing not being dried since the power's out."

"Okay guys, I found some candles and some flashlights." Nanao said as she came back into the room. She lit the candles with the fire's flame and set them in different places around the room. They all sat around talking, remembering old times, and discussing a little business (which Shunsui just ignored). Nanao checked the time on her phone and saw that it was getting late and the storm didn't show signs of letting up any time soon. "You guys should probably stay here for the night. I'll be a nervous wreck if you try to drive home in that."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Nanao-san." Ukitake said.

"I only have two guest rooms, but I have some extra pallets and sheets if a couple of you would rather sleep in the living room or the floor of a guest room. I'll just need some help getting them from upstairs. Could you help me, Juushirou?"

"Gladly." He answered as he stood up to follow her up the stairs with a couple of flashlights.

After they left Hitsugaya looked at Shunsui and bluntly asked, "Are you trying to get her to love you again?"

"I don't know…maybe?"

"Shunsui…" Kisuke said with a sigh, "last time things fell apart between you guys we were thankfully able to just see you separately, but if something like that happened again…I don't want to have to choose between you two."

"I know, I know…Ukitake's already given me a speech about it. And like I told him, I won't let myself do that to her again."

Upstairs Nanao and Ukitake were working to hold their flashlights and get the extra pallets and sheets as well as some spare pillows out of a closet. Ukitake had been thinking the same thing for a while now and just couldn't keep it to himself anymore. "Nanao-san…before Kisuke, Toushirou, and I came into the house we saw…well, what looked to be a tender moment between you and Shun. You're both dear friends of mine and I have to ask if you're thinking about patching things up with him."

"No. He's exactly the same as he was all those years ago. I thought maybe…but tonight and a few other occasions have shown me that he's exactly the same lazy procrastinator he's always been. As soon as you three walked in he went back to being the same old goofy Shunsui. The only positive thing I can say is that I haven't actually seen him touch a drop of liquor since I contacted him."

"He's not the same person, Nanao…he's changed a lot over the years. He's spent all this time trying to become the man that he thought you might want. He's almost completely stopped drinking now. On a few special occasions I've seen him have a glass of wine or cup of sake, but that's it. There's a lot that I don't think he's told you yet. I'm not sure if he ever will, but you really should at least think about giving him another chance."

Nanao was quiet for a few moments as they continued to get everything out of the closet. Then she suddenly said, "Juushirou…after everything that he put me through…is it wrong for me to still love him??"

He focused some of the light from his flashlight on her and saw the tears building in her deep blue eyes. Ukitake then pulled her into a gentle, brotherly embrace and sat on the floor as she cried into his chest. "Not as long as you can forgive his stupidity, Nanao…" he said in a quiet voice as he tried to calm the woman he saw as another little sister.

Once she'd calmed down Ukitake noticed that she'd fallen asleep in his arms with an almost pained expression on her face. He sighed and stood up to carry her petite form into her room. When he made sure that she was tucked in underneath the plush comforter he made his way back downstairs to get Shunsui. "I'm going to need your help moving some of this stuff."

"What happened to Nanao?" Shunsui asked in response as he stood to follow his friend up the stairs.

"She was tired so I put her to bed." Ukitake answered in a half-truth.

"I've known you since before your hair was white, Juushirou. I know when you're not telling me the entire truth."

"Shun, I've always been the one you two came to when you were having problems…and I've always tried to help. But this time it's like there's this huge rift between you guys and there are a lot of things unsaid to each other that have been said to me. I'm honestly not sure what I can and can't reveal from one to another." He paused here to turn and look his friend dead in the face, "I will tell you, though, that she thinks you're basically the same person you were. You need to show her how you've changed. Be careful though because I think she's really confused about you being back in her life all of a sudden and she doesn't know how she feels about you anymore."

"Then I'll just have to help her decide." Shunsui said. He helped Ukitake move the pallets and everything to the living room and everything was set up in front of the fire where they could all stay warm and continue to chat.

Eventually Shunsui was the last one left awake. He looked around and could see Kisuke sprawled across the couch, Ukitake was on a pallet, and Toushirou was on the hard wood floor after rolling off his pallet. He quietly eased himself off the floor and walked over to the large glass walls to look outside. He guessed it was probably an hour or so before sunrise and it was still raining…not at hard as it was, but it was still coming down. He vaguely wondered if the power had come back on but didn't want to turn anything on and risk waking everyone up.

He turned to look up the stairs and then climbed them step by step to walk down the hallway and quietly enter Nanao's room. It was the first time he'd seen it. There were a lot of deep greens and browns that had a very earthy feel to them and seemed to match the house and its surroundings perfectly. But with all the darker tones around her, Nanao slept in a large queen size bed that had red sheets, red pillows, and an extremely plush white comforter which he assumed to be filled with down feathers. 'Something firry in the middle of all the calm…it suits her perfectly.' He thought with a loving smile.

He then walked to her bedside and sat down, leaning against a small dresser beside the bed. Noticing that one of her hands was exposed, Shunsui reached up to lay his arm on the bed and hold her hand as she slept. Just being in her presence and surrounded by her smell that saturated the room he was soon lulled to a light slumber. He awoke after about an hours worth of rest to the feeling of Nanao shifting and signaling her awakening, but he kept his eyes shut and remained perfectly still.

Nanao woke up feeling well rested and warm. Everything felt perfectly normal except for when she went to stretch something was tugging on her hand. She looked down to see Shunsui asleep next to her bed and holding her hand. "When did he come in here?" She asked aloud.

"About an hour ago," he answered the question that he knew wasn't directed at him. This of course earned him a solid 'whap' with a pillow to his face.

"You scared the hell out of me!" She yelled as she sat on her heels in the bed and put a hand over her heart. She reached over to the dresser and fumbled for her glasses which she was practically blind without.

"Hold still…" Nanao did as she was told and the rounded lenses were slipped onto her face. "Do you want to play hooky from work today? I have an idea that I think you might like." He said with a smile as he sat beside her on the bed.

"I don't know…I have a lot of work to do…"

"We'll leave a note for Ukitake. I'm sure he'd be able to handle it for a day seeing as that used to actually be his job."

"I feel bad pushing all that work off on him…especially as sick as he is."

"If he was able to come out here last night, have lunch the other day, and lecture me he's fine enough. Besides, I bet getting out of that apartment of his for a day would be good for him."

Thinking it over for a few minutes, weighing the pro's and con's, and looking at Shunsui's pitiful begging expression finally convinced her to take the day off and play along with whatever he had planned. 'Whenever this man comes into my life he always manages to turn it completely around,' she thought with a smile. She stood up and said "Just let me get ready first."

"Okay." He chirped as he merrily continued to sit on the bed.

"That means GET OUT!" She said as she threw another pillow at him.

A/N:  
Another chapter comes to an end! I'm having fun with this story. It's going pretty smoothly. I'm probably not going to include Aizen and all that in here in any way (thought about it…still might…undecided). This is mostly about Nanao and Shunsui's relationship, past and present…there's plenty of potential angst there for one story. My bf and I have been constantly arguing about their relationship in the actual Bleach story. I think they totally have a jones for one another and he thinks that they see each other as more brother/sister. I think it's safe to say that anyone reading this agrees with me on this haha if you want me to throw my plot with Aizen into the ring just say so (it would definitely make the story longer). I like to take everyone's opinions into account. Well, I guess that's it for the day! Ja ne!

ANNOUNCEMENT: This week I started two part-time jobs. Between the two of them I'm working 7 days a week either 9 to 10 hours each day. (one job is in a vet's kennel and I almost constantly smell like cats, dogs, and bleach...ugh) But this isn't leaving me much time to write or do anything else but eat and sleep...I'm trying to get the next chapter done in what time I do have, but I can't guarentee an update next week...sorry! I'm going to try very, very hard though! Thanks for everyone who reviewed! It makes me feel so good to know that you like everything so far! I want to give a special thanks to JenovaJuice97 for your review on chapter 1 though! That made me feel really good

TTFNFWA


	4. A message from your author

A message from your author:

Greetings to all! I wanted to announce my return and give everyone a heads up about the changes that I'm planning. I'm not sure if these sorts of messages are allowed to be posted as chapters, but this notice will be coming down soon.

So here's how it is:

I'm back and intend to take up writing again.

As far as the changes that I'm planning…well, short version, I'm basically going to rewrite or revise all of my chapter stories. If you like them exactly as they are now, I suggest that you save them as documents to your own computer, and I'm sorry that that particular version may remain unfinished. They will come down and/or be replaced. I estimate that these changes are going to start in the next couple of days, but I'm not sure what story they will happen to first.

If you would like a more detailed account of why I will be changing them or what kinds of changes I will be making to the individual stories, I put it all on my profile page.

I thank you for reading my works in the past, and I hope you'll stick around for the new and improved versions that will be coming soon.

All the best,  
ConsistentlyInconsistent


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